General information, not veterinary advice. Requirements are set by the destination authority and can change: confirm with the official authority, your accredited vet and your airline.
Japan reviews your pet's file before the flight. The Animal Quarantine Service (AQS), part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), must receive an advance notification at least 40 days before your dog or cat arrives. Here is what it asks for, how to file it from the US, what the approval is for and what to do when your flight changes.
What the 40-day rule says
MAFF requires notice to the AQS office at your expected port of entry "not less than 40 days before arrival in Japan." In principle, a later notification is not accepted.
If your plans cannot change for unavoidable reasons, MAFF says to file immediately anyway, explain why in the remarks column and consult that AQS office. Do not count on it: if your pet needs detention and the facility is full, you may have to change the date or port.
What you need before you file
MAFF asks you to attach a copy of the rabies antibody test report, so you file once the result from a designated laboratory is back. MAFF's guide for non-designated regions, which include the mainland US, explains the form:
- Owner. Plus any agent, and an address in Japan: a hotel is acceptable.
- The animal. Species, breed, sex, date of birth, colour and name.
- Microchip. Number, implant site and date (if unknown, the oldest reading date).
- Rabies vaccines. Name, lot, date and expiry, which must be the duration of immunity. No clinic names.
- Antibody test. Laboratory, test date and result.
- Travel. Every flight number including connections, first port of arrival and arrival date.
- Transport mode. Cargo, checked baggage or hand luggage.
- Travel history. For example "Only stayed in USA."
How to file: NACCS or email
MAFF prefers NACCS (Nippon Automated Cargo and Port Consolidated System), the online route. You register with an email address and password, receive a user ID by email, then complete the registration. The login address changed on 12 October 2025: use the link on MAFF's NACCS page, not an old bookmark.
As of May 2026, MAFF reports that some users connecting from overseas get stuck at the "Issue of User ID" step or see screens display incorrectly after login. Its advice: try another device or browser, then another network, and if that fails, submit the form by email.
By email, send MAFF's dog or cat form (PDF or Excel) and the antibody report to the AQS office of your arrival port. MAFF's contact page asks for attachments under 14MB and lists addresses (replace "#" with "@"), including:
| Arrival airport | AQS email address |
|---|---|
| Narita, Terminal 1 | aqs.nrtr1#maff.go.jp |
| Narita, Terminal 2 | aqs.nrtr2#maff.go.jp |
| Narita, cargo | aqs.nrtcargo#maff.go.jp |
| Haneda | aqs.hnd#maff.go.jp |
| Kansai | aqs.kixk1#maff.go.jp |
| Chubu | aqs.nga#maff.go.jp |
The APHIS page for Japan (last modified 30 July 2025) still describes notice by fax or mail. MAFF's current page lists NACCS and email: follow MAFF, the authority.
The approval and why you keep it
AQS examines your notification and documents, then issues an "approval for import inspection of animals." MAFF warns that incomplete or unclear notifications may not be approved.
Print or save it: MAFF says to show it on request when applying for the official export certificate or boarding. For air cargo, AQS gives its fixed reception hours with the approval. The quarantine period shown on it may still change after the inspection on arrival.
When your flight or date changes
- Flight not booked yet. Enter the planned flight number or "to be determined", then modify it once fixed.
- Port not fixed 40 days out. MAFF's guide allows a provisional notification followed by a modification.
- Filed in NACCS. Modify it there. If the notification number ends in "0", you can correct it yourself; otherwise contact the receiving office.
- Filed by email. Send MAFF's modification form to the same office.
In principle, MAFF does not accept changes that move the arrival date earlier, add or replace animals, or come after the scheduled arrival date. Because the date cannot be moved earlier, notify the earliest arrival you could realistically make, still after the 180-day wait.
Ports and arrival day
Dogs may enter only through designated ports. The airports are New Chitose, Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, Osaka (Itami), Kobe, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Naha. For a cat arriving elsewhere, MAFF asks you to contact AQS in advance.
On arrival you bring your pet, in its crate, to AQS with the original certificates, the antibody report, the import inspection application and, for cargo, a copy of the air waybill. When every requirement is met, quarantine lasts under 12 hours and the inspection usually takes less than an hour. A pet arriving before its 180-day wait ends is detained at an AQS facility for the missing days. Inspection is free; transport, care and vet visits during detention are paid by the importer. Our US to Japan guide covers the earlier steps.
A sample timeline
| When | Step |
|---|---|
| Day 0 | Blood drawn for the antibody test, sent to a designated laboratory |
| Result received | NACCS account registered |
| At least 40 days before arrival | Notification filed with the antibody report |
| After AQS review | Approval received, printed and saved |
| Flight confirmed | Flight number modified |
| Within 10 days before boarding | Clinical inspection, certificate and APHIS endorsement |
| Arrival, after the 180-day wait | Import inspection at the port |
Plan it with the kit
The USA to Japan kit covers the whole move, from microchip to arrival. It includes a user guide, a timeline workbook that computes every date from your flight date, a vet visit brief, a document and airline checklist, and letter templates.
USA to Japan pet move kit
Japan's full procedure from the US: two rabies vaccines, a designated-lab titer, the 180-day wait and NACCS notice, dated from your flight.
See the kitSources
- MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: Import of dogs and cats from non-designated regions
- MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: Bringing dogs and cats into Japan, questions and answers
- MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: How to fill in the notification (non-designated regions)
- MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: Guide to importing dogs and cats from non-designated regions
- MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: NACCS for animal quarantine procedures
- MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: Notice on NACCS access from overseas
- MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: Contact us
- USDA APHIS: Pet travel from the US to Japan